Casing spear



F. P. JONES CASING SPEAR Dec. 27, 1938.

Filed'Oct. 21, 1937 .ll IIII Patented Dec. 27, 1938 ()FFIQE CASING SPEAR Franklin P. Jones, Berger, Tex., assignor of onehalf to'Homer Leander Jones, Great Bend,

Kans.

Application October 21, 1937, Serial No. 170,295

l Claims.

This invention relates to a casing spear, and the object of the invention is to provide a hydraulic casing spear which can be lowered into a well casing in contracted condition, expanded hydraulically into engagement with the interior of the casing, and used for recovering the well casing.

One of the objects of the present invention is to improve generally upon known types of hydraulic casing spears; and the invention together with its objects and advantages will be best understood from a study of the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through the spear, certain parts being shown in elevation.

Figures 2, 3, 4, 5 and. 6 are detail sectional views taken substantially on the lines 2-2, 33, 4-4, 5-5, and 6-6, respectively, of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing by reference numerals it will be seen that the improved spear comprises a substantially tubular body portion H] the upper end of which is tapered and threaded as at H for attachment to a string of drill pipes.

. At a point spaced downwardly from the end H the body I is provided with a series of longitudinally extending ribs i2 that have flat perpendicular outer faces.

Immediately below the ribs [2 the body [0 is provided with a series of tapered ribs 13, the outer faces of which are inclined and are provided with inclined mortise ribs l4.

Toothed slips I are provided with mortise grooves l6 to receive the mortise ribs I4 as best shown in Figure 3 and arranged in the grooves l6 against the faces of the mortise ribs [4 are spring fingers I! that at one end have inturned teeth or attaching flanges secured by screws or suitable fastening elements l8 to an annular ring or disk l9.

It will be noted that the slips l5 are in alignment with the ribs l2 and are normally urged upwardly toward the ribs l2 through the medium of the members ll.

Disk I9 is slidably accommodated on the body ll) of the spear. On the lower end of the body ID of the spear is, a pilot head 20, in the form of ribs radiating from the body HI. At the junction of the ribs of the head and the body Ill there is formed a shoulder 2| between which and the ring or disk I9 is interposed a coil spring 22.

The head 2|] is confined within a cage 23. The head 23 is of skeleton frame construction consisting of a pair of flat metallic members curved and united at one end and provided respectively at their free ends with inturned attaching flanges 24 through the medium of which and the screws IS the cage is secured to the disk or ring l9. This cage will prevent the head 28 from drilling into the bottom of the well. Thus sticking of the spear is eliminated.

Extending through the body #0 of the spear is a vertical central circulating passage 25 which in the region of the ribs 42 is enlarged to provide a chamber 26 from which extends upwardly ports 21 that open through the tops of the ribs I2, and ports 29 that extend downwardly and open through the bottoms of the ribs I2.

Arranged on the body It! and resting normally on the ribs i2 is a substantially conical packing gland or washer 28 which is formed of some flexible material preferably rubber.

The smaller end of the washer or packing 28 is accommodated within a substantially conical opening provided in a ring 29 which is confined in place through the medium of a relatively large nut 30 that is threaded onto the end ll of the body of the spear.

The nut 30 is hollowed out to provide a pocket 2| housing a spring 32 one end of which fits in a recess 33 provided in the smallest end of the packing 28. Thus the spring 32 acts to normally retain the packing 28 seated on the upper end of the shoulder l2.

The operation of the device is as follows:-

The tool is lowered into the well casing and when it has reached the desired position, from a suitable source of supply, fluid pressure is transmitted downwardly through the passage 25. In this connection it will be noted that sufficient pressure will be developed in the chamber 26 so that fluid issuing from the chamber 26 through the ports 21 will act with sufficient pressure on the packing 28 to force the latter upwardly thereby expanding the packing 28 to force the latter upwardly thereby expanding the packing ring 29 into frictional engagement with the wall of the well casing so as to prevent any fluid passing upwardly around the spear. It will also be understood that sufiicient pressure will be developed in the chamber 26 passing therefrom through the ports 21 to act on the slips iii to force the same downwardly against the action of spring 22 and the springs I! on the inclined ribs l3. This downward movement of the clips I5 to what may be termed an expanded position will cause the slips to engage the wall of the well casing in a manner to hold the casing and permit the same being lifted or carried by the tool.

It will be understood that after the well casing has been engaged by the slips and the weight of the casing is being carried thereby it will no longer be necessary to maintain pressure developed within the tool.

When it is desired to disengage the tool from the casing it will be understood that fluid pressure within the chamber 26 will be released whereupon the spring 22, and the spring I! will be efiective for returning the parts to the normal position which is the position shown in the drawing.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:--

1. A hydraulic casing spear comprising a body having a circulating passage therethrough, said body being also provided with a series of ribs projecting radially therefrom and extending longitudinally, said body inmthe region of said ribs being provided with a pressure chamber intersected by said circulation passage, ports extending through the ribs from said passage and opening at the upper and lower ends of said ribs, packing on said body above the ribs adapted to be expanded radially outwardly by hydraulic pressure, guide ribs on the body below and in substantial alignmentwith the first named ribs, slips movable upon the guide ribs, said slips adapted to be forced downwardly by hydraulic pressure into expanded position.

2 A hydraulic casing spear comprising a body having a circular passage therethrough, said body being also provided with a series of ribs projecting radially therefrom and extending longitudinally, said body in the region of said ribs being provided with a pressure chamber, intersected by said circulation passage, ports extending through the ribs from said passage'and opening at the upper and lower ends of said ribs, packing on said body above the ribs adapted to be expanded radially outwardly by hydraulic pressure, guide ribs on the body below and in substantial alignment with the first named ribs, slips movable upon the guide ribs, said slips adapted to be forced downwardly by hydraulic pressure into expanded position, a ring slidably engaged with the body below the guide slips, and

leaf spring members anchored at one end to the ring and having their free ends secured to the slips for normally urging the latter into contracted position on said guide ribs.

3. A hydraulic casing spear comprising a body having a circular passage therethrough, said body being also provided with a series of ribs projecting radially therefrom and extending longitudinally, said body in the region of said ribs being provided with a pressure chamber intersected by said circulation passage, ports extending through the ribs from said passage and opening at the upper and lower ends of said ribs, packing on said body above the ribs adapted to be expanded radially outwardly by hydraulic pressure, guide ribs on the body below and in substantial alignment with the first named ribs, slips movable upon the guide ribs, said slips adapted to be forced downwardly by hydraulic pressure into expanded position, a ring slidably engaged with the body below the guide slips, leaf spring members anchored at one end to the ring and having their free ends secured to the slips for normally urging the latter into contracted position on said guide ribs, a pilot head on the lower end of said body,,and a spring interposed between said pilot head and the ring for normally urging the same upwardly with respect to the body of the spear.

4. A casing spear adapted to be secured to a drill pipestring for insertion into a well casing and having movable gripping elements, and also having a radially expansible packing member spaced upwardly from said gripping elements, a

packing expanding member disposed below said packing and engageable with the latter for.eX-,

panding the same, and said spear having therein a fluid pressure chamber and ports leadingupwardly from said chamber for directing fluid pressure against the packing expanding member, and other ports leading downwardly from said chamber for directing fluid pressure against said gripping elements, as and for the purpose specifled.

FRANKLIN P. JONES. 

